Resume Help: Is It Resume-Worthy?
Do you ever wonder which of your affiliations and community service activities should be included on your resume? Today’s candidate, Sophia, struggled with the same issue. Her philosophy was, “When in doubt just add it.” There are reasons why that is not a wise decision. Some affiliations and service activities are considered inappropriate for the resume. Here is a short list of affiliations and community service activities are not resume-worthy.
Political & Religious Organizations
As Linus of Charles Shultz’ Peanuts gang once said, “"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin." If you disclose your religious and political preferences, you risk the chance of alienating a significant portion of your readers. Mentioning that you were leading a carnival at your church or made calls for a legislative candidate indicates your preferences.
Insignificant Activities
A service activity spanning a couple of hours and a certificate from a one-day workshop are just two examples of insignificant activities that do not merit inclusion on your resume. Sophia listed a one-day “water support volunteer” position. This adds no value to her resume.
Not Related to Your Career
Some items are not necessarily harmful to your job search, but they are irrelevant. Irrelevant information occupies valuable space on your resume that could be filled with information that supports your career goal. For example, Sophia lists her homeowner’s association. Technically, that is a membership, but not a membership that belongs on a resume. She also was a member of the PTA. It also should be dropped from the resume. The exception would be if Sophia held a leadership role or worked in a role related to her career as part of this membership. That would showcase her skills and leadership and would be smart to include.
Items from Distant Past
When Sophia was in high school (26 years ago), she served on a committee for a charity event. It was impressive. However, it happened so long ago that it is no longer relevant. It should not be included.
When writing her new resume, Sophia needs to adopt a new motto, “When in double, leave it out.” If you are unsure whether an affiliation or community service activity is resume-worthy, contact me. I am available to answer your resume and career questions. I’ll let you know if the item in question is indeed, resume-worthy.
If you want to read more about professional resumes, check out these blog entries.
Writing Results-oriented Résumés